Give Us This Day Our Daily Meds

Special considerations for the weight loss patient


I have been dreaming a lot while we have been on vacation, with vivid, stressful nightmares the first couple of nights.  One of my dreams was that The Hubs and I were in New York City, lost somewhere up there, and among all the other things that were wrong with that scenario, I had not packed my vitamins and supplements, and there was no place where I could just dash in and buy them.  Not having my meds was the worst part of the dream by far because serious health problems can result if I don't stick to my regimen, and I was paranoid about getting complications from not having my supplements.

Prior to surgery I didn't take much medication on a regular basis, especially considering my age and my weight at that time.  No meds for diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol or hypertension, because I had been spared those conditions.  I took medicine as needed for headaches and allergy symptoms, and on a daily basis, my birth control pill and an acid blocker because of reflux due to a hiatal hernia. ( The Hubs has more medications because of his diabetes, but he always takes care of packing his own bag.  Lots more information than you needed, I realize.) Anyway...this being my first big post-surgery trip, I was a little paranoid I would forget something I needed to pack.

My daily meds now consist of the pills I took before, PLUS:

8 huge bariatric multi-vitamin pills (although I don't take them all at the same time);

The acid blocker, which I will take for the rest of my life because, even though my surgeon repaired my hiatal hernia, I also have about 70-80% less stomach than I did before, and what's left needs to be protected from acid and possible ulcers, which could become a major problem if they develop;

A probiotic that I also get from the weight loss center because it is specially formulated for bariatric patients (I have compared it to the ones available at retail and mine are both more complete and way less expensive);

2 iron supplement pills which are also bariatric-patient-specific.

I need to take such an overabundance of supplements in part because I don't absorb nutrients, calories or fats the way someone with an unaltered digestive tract does.  This malabsorption is a big reason that my kind of surgery has a good success rate; it is also why I have to be extra-careful about getting the nutrients I need by gulping so many pills every day.  And because my supplements are specifically designed for weight loss patients, I can't just stop at the local neighborhood pharmacy and find what I need there.

So my paranoia in my dream was echoing my paranoia in real life, nervousness about forgetting something I needed to pack and getting sick or breaking a bone from lack of vitamins.  It happens to patients who don't stick to their plan more often than we hear about, and the dieticians at the weight loss center have preached the importance of supplements so well that I am a true believer.  I had surgery to improve my health and strength, after all.  Why would I risk my health and strength now by not taking my supplements?  I won't.  I am too aware of all that could go wrong if I don't stick to the plan.

I am a true believer.  I AM a true believer!  Can I get an Amen?